Long Time…

Long Time…

So it has been over a month since I have posted anything….I guess busy does not describe the months of June and July.  I had great plans to update the blog every week….guess I dropped the ball.

June was pretty crazy. We started with planning the Christening for TJ and Matthew.  Since I had a party at the house after the church, I had LOTS to do to get ready.  First we had to clean the house….that was a huge task.  Mom and I spent several days doing a serious cleaning…amazing what happens when you are too tired and fat in the final months of pregnancy to do much cleaning.  Then, we had to tackle the yard.  One morning my  parents came over and pulled weeds and trimmed the hedges and basically made the outside of the house look presentable.  Again, I kind of slacked on the gardens in the last few months.  Thankfully my parents are here to help out with anything we need done…and they are such great, and cheap labor..lol.  After the cleaning was done, we then had the task of shopping.  Mom and I spent the better part of a week shopping…for Christening outfits for the boys and for me, as well as for food (since I was doing all of the cooking), and for other supplies.  It was hectic, but I feel it was worth it.  The party was nice, the food was pretty good, and the Christening was great!  I am pretty certain that none of it would have been possible had my parents not been able to pitch in and help out with everything.  I am so fortunate that they are both willing and able to be involved and help me out whenever necessary.

Wow...big boys

As of 5/25/11:
During the past week or so I have noticed that the appetite on T.J. and Matthew has really increased...a lot!  Last week, T.J. wanted to eat every hour and a half to two hours...since he nurses for about 45 minutes at a time, that means that I have about 45 minutes to an hour to get anything accomplished before he freaks out again, and that is if he is calm after eating.  The following day, Matthew went through the same thing.  I read that it is a sign of a possible growth spurt.
Yesterday we went to the doctor for their 1 month appointment.  Everything is fine and normal with both of them.  However, boy did they grow!!
T.J. is now 21 1/2 inches long and 9 lb 10 oz - so he has grown almost 2 inches and gained nearly 3 lbs since leaving the hospital (he lost some weight in the hospital).
Matthew is now 21 inches (up 1 inch) and 9 lb 5 oz - again 2 1/2 lbs heavier.

I am sure glad I am nursing these kids and not using just formula...not sure that I could afford to feed them.  They just want to eat non-stop.  The only break I get is at night when they can sleep up to 4 hours or so before they wake up hungry.

So the honeymoon is over....

Sort of....its still all lovey here, but these boys are starting to really voice their opinions these past few days.  This morning Matthew awoke around 6:30am (no problem with that), but he definitely woke up on the wrong side of the crib.  He was hysterical and there was no real reason for it.  He was dry, clean, and he ate an hour earlier.  He just would not settle down.  Once he did, his brother lost HIS mind.  It went on like this until about noon when I finally got myself finished showering and drying the hair, fed them for the 5th time this morning, and changed T.J.'s 7th diaper of the morning...yes, 7. T.J. thinks it is hilarious to blow through the college savings by refusing to poop in an already dirty or wet diaper.  He will poop, scream, get changed, and 30 seconds later, poop again.  I may be starting to see things, but I swear he is smiling when he is pooping again. 
Anyway, I finally got them in their car seats, and the second I did, they both passed out.  I got them in the car and just drove for about 30 minutes and then headed to my mother's house, where they slept in the car seats until 3:30.  They were exhausted from 5 hours of screaming! 
While today was frustrating and draining, I have to keep reminding myself that a year ago I was praying for this.....ask and you shall receive I guess.  And I couldn't be happier to change 2 dozen diapers in a day, nurse every 2 hours, and not get the chance to brush my teeth until noon... It is a blessing, but I just wish they could tone down the cries...especially since now I am starting to see the actual tears....breaks my heart every time.

Out and About

So I have been trying to get the boys out of the house as much as possible..for a walk, to Nana's, the doctor, shopping, or lunch....I have found that getting them out makes them (and Mommy) much happier throughout the day.  It is difficult to get out,  but once we are in the car....they are at peace and life is good....then they love to nap in the car seats...works great for me.
Today we had our first play date....with Hunter Ann Kirk...I think the boys may be fighting over her in a few years!  We all went to the Downtown Canton Arts Festival and Farmers Market.  It was a beautiful day, until the heat came...but still really nice.  TJ was asleep the entire time...Matthew woke up and wanted to eat, and eat, and eat some more.  Hunter was good too...she was much more alert than these guys, but she is 2 months older.  We failed to get any pictures...not sure how that happened, but we had a fun day nonetheless.  It was great to hang out with Carey and Alicia and Hunter...I hope we can do this  more often.

Before we left, we thought of allowing Roger to babysit...he appears to be very good at it...(see pics below).

What I know I know..

So, I am pretty new at this mother thing...but here is what I know that I know at this moment in time:
1.  I love my sons more than I ever thought possible.
2.  My two sons look nothing alike to me...they may to others, but I have studied every square inch of them and I see the beauty in their differences.
3.  At this moment in time, Thomas is the quiet one, very relaxed, has his father's personality.
4.  Matthew is a little more needy, loves to be held by his Mommy and has a bit of my personality...a little demanding and quite stubborn.
5.  My husband is an amazing father....he loves his boys, loves his wife, and would do anything for the three of us.
6.  Roger (the dog), has no idea what is going on in his world, but is adapting pretty well...he is just very curious about these two little noise makers.
7.  Matthew does not like to be naked, does not want to wait to eat, and LOVES his pacifier.
8.  T.J. will sit in a dirty diaper for as long as possible, goes with the flow, and only takes his pacifier if he is    hungry.
9.   Matthew has a big round face, chubby belly, and big feet and hands.
10. T.J. has a narrow face, is a major eater, and he too has big hands and feet.
11.  Every day I learn a little bit more about being a mom and about my babies.
12.  T.J. has very delicate features, so he appears to be much smaller than his brother, although he now surpasses Matthew in weight.
13.  Having twins is so incredibly difficult, but the rewards are so great.
14.  It would be impossible for me to get through these early days without my husband and my mother.
15.  Sleep is a beautiful thing and that I am fortunate that at this moment, my boys LOVE sleeping....although they are starting to be alert longer and longer each day....and night.
16.  I want to cry when I think that my sons could be in some sort of pain.
17.  I am so in love with these two babies that I would do anything to protect them.
18.  I don't want them to grow up...I love this stage....they are so dependent on me and I love that feeling.
19.  I can't wait for them to grow up so I can see all of the other stages they will go through.
20.  Scott and I have been blessed with some pretty awesome babies......
21.  My love for my family and friends has deepend because my heart has been completely opened.
22.  My children, my husband, and my family are the most important things in the world and I would go to the ends of the earth to protect them.
23.  Being a mother is what I was put on this earth to do....it is who I am and who I have wanted to be for most of my life.
24.  My husband has been so thoughtful and loving and misses his boys when he is at work.
25.  These babies LOVE being in the car and pass out as soon as we buckle them in.
26.  Fresh air seems to solve fussy boys almost instantly....at least that is true as of this moment.
27.  Watching Scott become a father has been awesome....he went from nervous to an expert diaper changer, swaddler, and Daddy in no time at all.
28.  I love when the boys fall asleep on my chest..it seems that they get their best sleep that way, and I get quality one-on-one time when they do.
29.  Nursing the babies is difficult..time consuming, no spicy foods, pumping after, etc...but I love the quiet time we all share together, the nutrients it provides them, and the actual ease of doing it.
30. These have been the best four weeks of my life!

My First Mother's Day....

Was fantastic....Scott, T.J., Matthew, and I began the weekend with visit at Scott's parents house.  The babies had the chance to meet both of their Great Grandmother's and I think the Great Grandmother's are in love!  Memaw and Grandma didn't want to put either of the boys down.  Richard and Jacob came over for a little while too to visit and celebrate Mother's Day.  Aunt Patti also popped in for a few minutes when she heard that the boys would be around.  We had a great day and I was glad that the boys were able to spend time with their Nana and Papa as well as their Great Grandparents....not many people have that opportunity and I want these boys to know all of the people that love them!

Memaw and Ed

Grandma

Sunday morning I woke up to some hungry little boys around 6am, which is not terrible, but I could have slept forever.  After feeding them, Scott went downstairs to make me a nice little breakfast and he helped me get the boys cleaned and dressed for their first trip to church.

Mom and I took them to mass and were a little nervous about what to expect.  These two kids totally stole the show at church.  Everyone was checking them out to see how handsome they are.  We didn't really know what to expect out of these boys and as luck would have it, feeding time came right in the middle of mass, but the boys were troopers as we gave them a little bottle of formula.  They were really quiet and well behaved and even went up to the alter for communion where the priest blessed them!  Great start to a great day.

After getting home, I was able to take a nap for a few hours on the couch while Scott handled all of the diaper changes...and with these two boys....there are a lot!!!!  At the same time, Scotty also prepped the food that he was cooking my parents and me for dinner. 

Scott made a delicious dinner (cooked the steaks to a perfect medium) and we were able to just hang out and enjoy a beautiful day.  It was a nice, relaxed weekend....the perfect Mother's Day!  Thanks Scott, TJ, Matthew, and Roger for making my day so perfect! 

Sleeping angels

Good looking boys  - Matthew and T.J.

Matthew

T.J.

Week 2

Over the past year and a half I have watched my dear friend Missy's little girl grow up via photos...One idea that I am totally stealing from Missy is that every month she takes a picture of Megan and includes how old she is...Megan at 1 month, Megan at 2 months, etc.  I have loved looking through these pictures and seeing the incredible growth and change she has made since she was born...so thanks Missy!!!

This second week has been a little more challenging...sleep deprivation has kicked in. Trying to feed these little guys is a challenge too and it is not possible to do so without a second set of hands.  I have been able to feed them at the same time for almost every feeding, which is pretty awesome.  They are pretty good eaters!  The only problem is that I need that second person to grab the second baby and hand him to me to latch on.  We keep everything on a well documented chart..very clincial, but very necessary....I can tell you when they last ate, pee'd and pooped!  Fun stuff, right?

This week I have given the boys have had their sponge baths, which Matthew doesn't particularly care for.  They have gone to the doctor for their check ups (all looks good), and they have finally met their cousin Declan, as well as Aunt Alli and Uncle Paul.  It has been a great long weekend getting to meet the family.

My mother has been awesome as usual.  For a woman who is her age, she sure has the energy of someone in her 20's.....she just doesn't quit.  Once Scott started back to work, she started spending the night.  She and I sleep in the guest room and when it's time for the boys to eat...she helps get them ready, she changes them, clean/sterilized the breast pump supplies, cooks food for me, makes sure I am taken care of, and she does this on the same amount (or less) of sleep that I get....she is truly Superwoman.  I sure couldn't have gotten through this week without her help!! Love you Mom!!



LOVE!